


Percival Graves: Domestic Goddess

by vaderina



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-15 01:31:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9213335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaderina/pseuds/vaderina
Summary: It was funny how life panned out sometimes. Growing up Percival had a Life Plan. He was going to study hard, be Head Boy when time came. He was going to be top of his class. He was going to be an Auror. He was going to be Director of Magical Security. Eventually he was going to become President of MACUSA and be damn good at it too. What he hadn’t planned for was taking a sabbatical in the form of imprisonment by a dark wizard. Neither had he planned on being rescued by a magizoologist with a case full of highly illegal creatures. Nor on falling in love with said magizoologist. Nor finding himself an impromptu family when the case revealed to be hiding widely believed to be dead Obscurus. That was an awkward shock to the system. The last thing Percival expected was to tumble headlong into a life he never planned or thought he could want. One of being a kept man.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta read.  
> I don't own the characters, only the typos and mistakes.

It was funny how life panned out sometimes. Growing up Percival had a Life Plan. He was going to study hard, be Head Boy when time came. He was going to be top of his class. He was going to be an Auror. He was going to be Director of Magical Security. Eventually he was going to become President of MACUSA and be damn good at it too. What he hadn’t planned for was taking a sabbatical in the form of imprisonment by a dark wizard. Neither had he planned on being rescued by a magizoologist with a case full of highly illegal creatures. Nor on falling in love with said magizoologist. Nor finding himself an impromptu family when the case revealed to be hiding widely believed to be dead Obscurus. That was an awkward shock to the system. The last thing Percival expected was to tumble headlong into a life he never planned or thought he could want. One of being a kept man.

Going back to MACUSA was difficult. He had been stripped bare by Grindelwald and he had to push himself to rebuild his life. No amount of talking and potions were going to give him back his sense of security, his sense of self-worth or the time he lost. What hurt the most was the fact that it took a total stranger to figure out that he wasn’t himself. It made Percival take stock of who he was, how he conducted himself. Surely nobody thought him so cold blooded that he’d sentence two people to death for possession of illegal creatures and delaying in reporting said finding. Percival really made an effort to get to know members of his department after that but the damage had already been done. People were wary of him, some of them through guilt, some just by his sudden association with Grindelwald. It wasn’t fair. During his first few nights back in his apartment and finally alone he had paid his stash of firewhiskey a visit. The only thing that pushed him through his own pity party were the days when Newt would flit through his office. Occasionally he’d have a creature on his person (very poorly concealed, seriously, why did he think nobody would notice a large wriggling bulge in his pocket?) and he always seemed to have a good reason to disturb the Director of Magical Security. However, as time went by those excuses became more and more flimsy. The cups of coffee and pastries that were deposited on his desk by Newt increased though. Until one day around lunchtime Newt plopped himself down in the visitor’s chair in his office and produced two brown paper bags. He pushed one towards Percival with a small shy smile. The offered bag contained a packed lunch. Percival was touched if baffled. In all his life nobody had ever made him lunch. He used to occasionally nip down to the cafeteria if he had the time for a quick bite but over the last few years as his work load had increased he had chosen to skip lunch altogether. His thanks was met with a pleased blush and a cup of coffee floating over to him from his kettle.

It became a routine of sorts after that. Whenever their schedules allowed Newt would appear at lunchtime with lunch. To start with they’d get interrupted by self-important wizards and witches too used to barging into his office with their needs regardless of what time it was. However they learnt very quickly that Director Graves was not to be bothered during his lunchtime meeting with the resident magizoologist. Lunches became drinks after work and meals at Percival’s. One curious habit Newt seemed to have was occasionally referring to himself in plural. It was a peculiar affliction which Percival put down to the other man identifying a little too much with his creatures. He never called Newt out on it though. They were all odd in their own little ways, why make the man more self-conscious than he already seemed to be? Of course Percival’s theory was trashed when one evening Newt was waiting for him to finish up, lounging in his usual chair while Percival was slaving away over the last bit of paperwork from a recent case. He signed off on the form with a flourish and sent it off to filing. There was a smile playing on his lips and he looked at Newt. The other wizard was preoccupied, playing with Pickette, a small frown of concentration creased his brown. The case was on his table, easy to reach and see should anything in there decide that it was time to make a break for freedom. Percival stood and rapped on the case playfully to get Newt’s attention. What he wasn’t expecting was the case to pop open and the head of Credence Barebone to poke out. The confusion (Percival and Credence), terrified crying (Credence), gentle reassurances (Newt to both Credence and Percival) was something worthy of an epic drama. Once everyone was calmed, settled and reassured Newt explained the situation – he’d found Credence lost and scared down by the docks shortly after the fight in the tunnels. Credence didn’t trust Percival which he could understand though it still hurt a bit. Newt cradled the boy in his arms as though he were something precious, not something that had the power to not only strike him dead but also level the whole city.

It took time for Credence to warm to him. Percival was finally able to spend an evening with Newt and Credence at the dinner table. The first time they sat down as a tentative family Credence had been so nervous he dropped food all over the table, burst into tears and cowered while Newt and Percival did their best to reassure him that it was okay to make mistakes. However as weeks passed Percival realised that he was doing less and less overtime at work. Newt’s case had migrated to his apartment where when he came home he’d occasionally find Credence on the sofa curled up with a puffskein. In the meantime Newt had published his long awaited book. Their expectation was that a few niche circles would be over joyed with the book but the larger proportion of the wizarding population would scoff, or at best, ignore it completely. It was a total surprise to them all when the book shot up in the bestselling ranks. It needed a new printing run. People had started stopping Newt in the streets to talk to him, ask for an autograph and on one memorable occasion, ask for a kiss. Percival was so proud of him. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise when Newt was inundated with offers for further travelling and research. Percival could see the desire to go and the desire to stay warring in Newt. They were comfortable where they were. Money was suddenly not an issue and there was a certain amount of predictability to their life. It was a surprise though how easily the solution came to Percival and how much he didn’t actually mind the prospect. The conversation came to head one dinner time. Credence had excused himself to see to the creatures in the case. Percival didn’t beat around the bush. He offered Newt everything he had left that he didn’t already share with the man. The opportunity to go travelling, and if Newt would have him, he’d like to join him too. Newt stared at him wide eyed, lips formed silent words and stutters as he tried to process what Percival was trying to tell him. The smile when he finally realised it was for real made everything all the more worthwhile.

Resigning early from MACUSA had never been part of Percival’s grand Life Plan. It was a quiet affair. He didn’t want a leaving party, nobody would have been comfortable there. Everyone would have felt guilty for not trying harder to make him feel more included. They would have shuffled round offering half-hearted well wishes and commiserations. Some may have even pitied him – the Director who was abducted by a dark wizard, now so broken he couldn’t cope with the demands of his old job. He’d finally gone mad, resigning from a dignified job only so he could go gallivanting across the world with an only slightly more mad wizard almost a decade his junior. Percival really didn’t need that. He handed in his resignation to Picquery personally, spent 4 weeks training up his successor and on his final day, he just walked out of the building without a backward glance. Newt was waiting for him at the bottom of the steps, case clutched in his hand and a beaming smile splitting his face in two.

They spent some time at his apartment before setting out. They modified the case to make it a little more family friendly. Instead of the shack with a cot as the entrance they charmed an apartment in its place. It had two bedrooms, a kitchen with windows overlooking the plains of the erumpent and a living room with a wood burner that oozed heat when needed. It was very cosy, perfect for their mismatched family unit. Thus began the domestication of one Percival Graves.

They travelled the world, the three of them. Newt more often than not took Credence with him to help make observations. When security was an issue Percival would join them. However he found that he did not have the same patience as the other two to sit in a tree or behind some boulder and watch the mating dance of a demiguise. They were invisible when dancing, leaving only a trail in the sand which left Newt giddy with excitement but Percival thought he himself could draw just as intricate a pattern if he tried. Instead Percival took on the jobs around their little apartment. He cooked, cleaned, mended tears in clothes and patched up cuts and bruises when there was a need for it. One day Newt presented him with a record player and some of his favourite records. It was installed in the kitchen where Percival found he spent most of his time if the other two were out.

Newt was finishing up his evening rounds when he spotted Credence. The boy was crouched by the door that from the kitchen looked like a pantry door. In reality it was the new entrance into his shack which opened up into the enclosures in the test of the case. Credence was holding the door open a crack and peered through it cautiously. He jumped when Newt laid a questioning hand on his shoulder. It was a testament to how far they’d come though when instead of running away or looking guilty he just put a finger to his mouth and moved so Newt could peer through the door with him. Newt almost laughed at the sight. Percival was at the sink washing up the plates from dinner. He had his back to the pantry door, quietly singing along to whatever record he had playing in the background. As the two younger wizards watched, Percival bopped along, occasionally shuffle dancing. His pleasant baritone voice rang through the otherwise quiet apartment. Off to the side on the table a big bowl was slowly being stirred. With a fancy shuffle of his feet Percival spun on the spot, arms casting an arc which spelled raspberries into the bowl. Newt couldn’t hold back anymore. His grin was wide, eyes crinkled at the corner as he moved through the doorway. Credence stayed crouched behind the door. He watched as Percival, rather than be embarrassed at being caught dancing, caught Newt round the waist and started spinning him round the kitchen. The younger wizard’s laugh was bright and carefree as his slung arms round Percival’s neck for a quick kiss. However he had different ideas and broke away from Percival with a delighted giggle and danced opposite him. It was slightly out of time and wild but neither man seemed to care. Credence wanted to join in so much but felt so self-conscious. He hugged the door closer, hoping that he could be part of the scene by just watching. Instead Newt looked straight at him, arms outstretched in invitation. Percival noticed him then too. Instead of stopping he beckoned Credence over. With the only other option being to slink back into the enclosures, the young man stepped into the kitchen. He was swept up in two sets of arms immediately. They danced around, Percival occasionally flinging something else into the bowl. Newt had found the frilly apron he had jokingly presented to Percival some months ago and hung it round the other man’s neck. For his efforts he got a playful smack on the backside and laugh. Credence admired the interaction between the two people he had tentatively started to call parents.

This wasn’t a life he could even have imagined for himself. It wasn’t a life Percival had planned on either. And they both knew Newt never planned anything. So while it wasn’t planned and it wasn’t always perfect, it was theirs and they loved each other as perhaps they were always meant to.


End file.
